The GRAMMY Awards, commonly considered to be the most prestigious music awards ceremony, is a highly anticipated event for music fans across the nation—but, for some, the announcement of nominations can be almost as exciting as the event itself. This year, nominations for the upcoming 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards were announced on November 10, and have garnered lots of conversation, debate, and speculation as to who will win each award. Award shows tend to be incredibly divisive events, but can simultaneously open doors for new talents and uplift those currently making positive impacts on the music industry.
This year in particular has been a very good year for the representation of female artists. Awards shows have historically faced backlash for being non-diverse in their nominees and winners, specifically in their tendencies to skew towards men (this being the reason other awards shows like the Oscars have gendered categories), so this year’s lineup featuring so many prominent women in music has been an encouraged development by many GRAMMYs supporters. “I’ve noticed that tons of music spaces are dominated by men. The 2024 GRAMMYs, however, seemed to take a step towards gender equality by nominating lots of women compared to past years,” says Indian Hills senior Lily Duarte.
SZA, highly acclaimed R&B/pop artist, is the top nominated artist of the year, with 9 nominations across the categories including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year, three of the “Big Four” categories. The representation of women in this year’s awards does not stop with her, either—artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Boygenius, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Victoria Monét, and Lana Del Rey have dominated the major categories, all with multiple nominations each.
The diversity amongst these women and the rest of the women nominated, especially in the variety of genres of music they create, bodes very well in contrast to previous years that have spotlighted primarily men and have not recognized as many of the talented women in the industry outside of the hyper-mainstream. “It’s refreshing and comforting to know that more skilled artists who are women are getting the recognition they deserve,” Duarte says. “It gave me hope that Boygenius in particular was nominated for six awards. [Being that they are] an alternative group of three young queer women, it made me surprised yet thrilled to know that they [are being] acknowledged. They are a group, in my opinion, that deserved every nomination in a musical sense, but it’s important to note that their success represents voices that were previously ignored in the past.” Representation in awards shows affects not just the artists nominated, but those watching as well, ensuring fans and perhaps aspiring creatives feel seen within the industry.
Out of the “Big Four’’ GRAMMYs categories, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year tend to be the most discussed, and tend to come with the most prestige. The fourth “Big Four” category of Best New Artist, though, can be arguably the most interesting. Best New Artist has a weight to it that other categories do not, in that it can completely skyrocket its winner—and even the rest of its nominees—into a new level of fame. The category tends to foreshadow the near future of music, highlighting up-and-coming artists that, after being recognized at such a massively viewed event, tend to be on the cusp of stardom. Lists of past Best New Artist winners are chock-full of current massive names in music: Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, Adele, Alicia Keys, and even Mariah Carey, and many of these now-celebrities can credit part of their rise to notoriety to the exposure from the GRAMMYs.
This year’s Best New Artist nominees are pop artist Gracie Abrams, EDM artist Fred Again, hip hop artist Ice Spice, country/rap artist Jelly Roll, R&B artist Coco Jones, folk artist Noah Kahan, R&B artist Victoria Monét, and folk/country duo The War and Treaty. These artists represent a varied assortment of styles of music, with special emphasis in both R&B and folk/country, and may provide a solid hint as to what will be playing on the radio and who will be selling out stadiums in the next few years.
The upcoming GRAMMYs season is shaping up to be one to highlight musical diversity, and the many types of people creating new and innovative soundscapes at the current moment. The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards, air live on February 4, seem well-worth tuning in to, especially for those constantly on the hunt for the music of tomorrow.
